What inspired you to work for Centro MundoLengua?
I have been teaching Spanish for 27 years and I love being in the classroom with students. This experience has been very full-filling. I became a consultant because I wanted to share my classroom experiences with other colleagues. This exchange has become a valuable network amongst teachers with a vast amount of experiences in the classroom.
Working with Centro Mundo Lengua gave me a great opportunity to interact with literature. I love that our workshop takes place in Madrid, providing so much cultural learning.
Describe a typical day at work.
We have classes during the day that follow the format of learning about the Course and the AP exam. The afternoons are planned for teachers to interact with the lectures and lessons that participants learned with during the class. The interaction with the readings and the culture blend very well.
Why do you do what you do?
I became a teacher 27 years ago because I loved the process of learning English, my interaction with the language, and the process of becoming proficient at communicating in a second language. I wanted to do the same, but this time, I wanted to teach my native language.
Afternoon visit to the Prado Museum Visit with teachers
What is your favorite part of your job?
I love interacting with students and teachers. I love to see and hear my students going from speaking a few sentences to really developing a discussion about an everyday topic using the second language.
How do you use your education and international background in your current role?
I bring perspectives from my native country, Costa Rica, into my lesson plans and my training, as well as my own perceptions from when I travel abroad. I like to have a global perspective in what I do and in my actions.
What challenges do you often face and how do you overcome them?
A big challenge that I face is not having enough time to teach or cover important topics that I feel necessary for my classes. Another challenge is constantly developing new material that is appropriate for my learner’s abilities. What are some current projects you are working on?
I am working on developing lessons that have a theme of social justice or highlighting social justice in already developed lessons. I use the 17 Objetivos de Desarrollo as a base for a lot of the units that I teach in class, so I have to make sure that the objectives are present in the lessons.
What advice would you tell your pre-travel self?
Make connections, interact with the people, language, and culture as much as possible.
Learn as much as you can because traveling provides a special venue for learning.
What makes Centro MundoLengua special?
Madrid is a literary city and teaching this workshop in Madrid brings the material to life. Afternoon visits to the different museums, libraries, and cities bring an extra perspective to what we are learning during the week.
Why should someone choose your organization over competitors?
The care that Centro Mundo Lengua provides to each participant is very impressive. We work on planning during the afternoon visits so that there is a connection between what the participants are learning and what the city has to offer.
What hopes do you have for the future for Centro MundoLengua?
I hope that more people can participate in these workshops because they are very well-planned and give participants an opportunity to interact not only with each other, but also with people in Madrid and the culture, and apply their knowledge.
What do you hope participants take away from your programs?
I hope that participants can learn about the specific AP class that they are attending, but most importantly, they can interact with other colleagues, the culture, and interact with the language.
How do you help support participants?
We present workshops that are tailored to the needs of the course. I like to cover all the material that I propose in the agenda, but at the same time, I like to see what are the needs of the participants and adjust if necessary.
If you could participate on one of your organization's programs, where would you go and what would you do?
I actually like for my students that I teach in the United States to be able to participate in the programs that they offer in Sevilla and Cadiz.
Why is it important for people to travel abroad and experience new cultures?
It is so important to open windows and doors to knowledge of the subject that we teach. When you travel, you get to know your neighbors and, to me, it is very important to know my neighbor and learn from them. Travel gives me this opportunity.
Last day of classes AP Spanish Literature and Culture, Madrid 2018
Why do you think learning a new language is important?
I can learn first hand from my neighbor. It gives me an opportunity to ask questions so that I can learn from the people that speak the language. I can also use their language to let them know about me and why learning their language is important to me.
What advice do you have for individuals thinking about going abroad?
Learn as much as you can.
Don't be embarrassed to make mistakes while using the language.
If you make a mistake, apologize and continue. Sometimes people are going to make fun of you, but I have learned that, for the most part, people will teach you how to improve.
What does meaningful travel mean to you?
Meaningful travel for me is when I have things planned and I know ahead of time where I am going and what I am doing. I like to journal during my travels so that I remember things that I did, or write about important things that I saw.
